Which of the following powerful empires purposely isolated itself by avoiding global trade early in its history?

A. The Ottoman Empire

B. The Safavid Empire

C. The Ming dynasty

D. The Kingdom of Portugal

The correct answer is C The Mind Dynasty. After a period of maritime explorations n the early 15th century, the Ming Dynasty started shutting the Middle Kingdom out of the rest of the world. This of course continued with the Qing, and the empire remained largely isolated until the 19th century, because of foreign "initiative."